Bit9 Introduces Version 3.0 of its Innovative Application Control Solution, Parity.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- New Features Reduce IT Support Costs While Enforcing Desktop Application Usage Policies

Bit9, Inc., which enables Windows Desktop Administrators to enforce application usage policies, today announced it has released Version 3.0 of its innovative Parity(TM) Windows desktop security and application control software. Designed to manage and enforce application usage policies in large, dynamic, and mission-critical PC environments and based on patent-pending technology, Bit9 Parity(TM) is the only solution to detect, identify, and approve or ban applications--without relying on malware signatures or behavioral patterns.

"Bit9 gives us an easy way to block any unauthorized software from running on our systems, said Byron DeLoach, Manager of Information Services, Ringgold Telephone Company located in Georgia. "This allows us to prevent system corruptions and security policy violations before they occur, improving the performance of our operation."

New features in Version 3.0 of Bit9 Parity include:

--Automated software approval

Bit9 allows IT staff to decide what applications are appropriate for the organization and specify policies to automatically manage the execution of any new and unknown software on enterprise desktops. The key to success is the ability to automate the software approval process. By integrating with desktop infrastructure and IT processes for rolling out new software and updates, Bit9 allows IT to get the best possible application control and policy enforcement with minimal effort. This release enhances and extends Bit9's automatic whitelist maintenance via more granular control through trusted relationships with:

--Users approved to install software

--Publishers with digitally signed software

--Auto-updaters for specific applications

--Any software needing local or global approval

Via Parity's automated software approval and trust-based whitelisting, exceptions to corporate and security policies are minimized upfront without active IT involvement.

--Wider file ban and lockdown options

Administrators now have greater control over how to ban executables and when to lock down systems for the greatest levels of protection from malware. For example, a new emergency lockdown feature puts all desktops into immediate lockdown to prevent new applications from executing with no impact to business productivity or performance. In addition, new pre-ban functionality can proactively block unwanted applications via name or cryptographic before anti-virus signatures or patches are available.

--New, configurable alerts

New operational alerts are triggered when user-defined thresholds are crossed, giving customers the ability to more easily track propagation of new and potentially disruptive applications through the enterprise. For example, IT can be notified when an unrecognized application suddenly appears across a number of desktops. This gives IT the power to quickly contain any impact using Party's emergency lockdown feature, and then identify the application through Bit9 ParityCenter, and ban as appropriate. The alert information can be integrated and correlated with incident management and problem reporting systems to gain an even better understanding of changes within the enterprise infrastructure.

"Application control reduces support costs and policy violations," said John Hanratty, vice president of products and services at Bit9. "For example, our customers have used Parity to prevent specific versions of applications with well-known vulnerabilities from running on corporate desktops, and also to block unwanted applications such as browser plug-ins that interfere with critical business applications. Our customers have told us that policies which were unenforceable before Bit9 are now being enforced, resulting in a dramatic improvement in desktop security and a lower cost of support."

"This latest version of Parity easily integrates with software distribution, patch management, and IT distribution processes for rolling out software, giving customers better control over their enterprise desktop infrastructure," said Brian Hazzard, director of product management, Bit9. "This results in the most uptime and increased security with minimal effort, helping to enforce compliance efforts and standardized desktop images."

About Bit9, Inc.

Bit9 provides the easiest and most effective way for Windows Desktop Administrators to enforce desktop application usage policies. By centrally controlling which applications can and cannot run, Bit9 drastically reduces the volume of desktop support calls, thereby maintaining the highest levels of availability, compliance, and security. Unlike other application control solutions that require significant setup and intervention, Bit9 installs in minutes and automates the approval or banning of new applications. Founded in 2002 by the founders of Okena (acquired by Cisco) and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bit9 is a privately held company. For more information, visit www.bit9.com.

Bit9, Inc., Automatic Graylists, Find File, FileAdvisor, Parity, and ParityCenter are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bit9, Inc. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.